350. 352 HISTORY OF SANSKRIT POETIOS

352 HISTORY OF SANSKRIT POETIOS

Journal of Dept. of Letters, Cal. Un., vol. XXVI pp. 1-31. A true poet's work cannot be described in nobler or more sublime language than what the ध्वन्यालोक' says about it, viz. that the poet is a Creator in the boundless world of poetry, that the Universe appears to assume that form which he is pleased to give to it, that whatevcr rasa (either love or pathos or heroism) he puts into his poem the world becomcs immersed therein and that if he himself becomes devoid of rasa then all follow suit. The Vyaktiviveka also employs equally sublime language about the poet's pratibha, which, he says, is the intellect of the poet that has become absorbed in selecting words and sense appro- priate to the rasa he wants to evolve, that (q5T) rises after touching for a moment the Real Essence (viz. the Highest Spirit) and that pratibha is the third eye of the Divine (Siva), whereby the poet perceives the shape of things, past, present and future. 8 The definition of poetry (काव्यलक्षण). Numcrous definitions of kāvya have been offered by several writers; many of these definitions are affected by the author's view about the essence of poetry. Some of the definitions are no more than mere descriptions. The definitions of a few writers, particu- larly early ones, treat mo and e as equally prominent, while others give more prominence to ra; some give a definition of aroa which is more difficult than the thing to be defined (such as that of विश्वनाथ 'वाक्यं रसात्मकं काव्यं'). An attempt will be made to group together some of these definitions. The following lay equel emphasis on शब्द and अर्थ 'शब्दार्थौं सहितौ काव्यं' (भामह I. 16; vide also I. 11 and 13 for काव्य being निर्दोष and सालक्कार); 'ननु शब्दार्थों काव्यं' रुद्रट III. 1; 'शब्दार्थो सहितौ वक्र०' वक्रोक्ति- जीवित (p. 227 above); 'तददोषौ शब्दार्थीं सगुणावनलङ्कृती पुनः क्वापि' मम्मट; गुणालक्कारसहितौ शब्दार्थीं दोषवर्जितौ । ... काव्यं काव्यविदो विदुः॥ प्रताप- रुद्रीय०; 'शब्दार्थौ निर्दोषौ सगुणौ प्रायः सालक्वारी काव्यम्' काव्यानुo of वाग्भट p. 14; 'अदोषौ सगुणौ सालद्वारी च शब्दार्थो काव्यम्' हेमचन्द्र p. 16; vide वामन'S वृत्ति on I. 1. I. Other writers lay more emphasis on शब्द. 'तैः शरीरं च काव्यानामलङ्काराश्ष दर्शिताः । शरीरं तावदिष्टार्थव्यवच्छिन्ना पदावली॥' 1. अपारे काव्यसंसारे कविरेव प्रजापतिः। यथास्मै रोचते विश्वं तथेदं परि- वतते॥ श्रृङ्गारी चेत्कवि: काव्ये जातं रसमयं जगत्। स एव वीतरागश्चेन्नीरसं सर्वमेव तत्। ध्व. p. 278, quoted on p. 183 n3 above; रसानुगुखशब्दार्थचिन्ता- स्तिमितचेतसः । क्षणं स्वरूपस्पर्शोत्था प्रश्ञैव प्रतिभा कवेः ॥ सा हि चक्तुभगवतस्तृतीय- मिति गीयते। येन साक्षात्करोत्येष भावांस्त्रैकाल्यवर्तिनः ॥ व्यक्तिविवेक p.108.